[Ink Review] Private Reserve - Ebony Blue

[Intensity]

Reportedly, Private Reserve is one of the companies that paved the way to the overabundance of ink colors we have now, as early on there were mostly the basic inks available, such as basic blue-black, red, green, turquoise, brown, black, and blue. PR inks come in a multitude of different hues. The original creator and owner of the ink company passed away, and the company is now under new ownership and management.

 

Ebony Blue has been on my radar for a while. I love dark teal inks, but I'm usually pretty picky about them in person.

 

Ebony Blue is a kind of turquoise mixed with black, and possibly some other hues in between, which results in a dark but more "clean" hue teal-black. What I mean by clean is that it's not muddy, brown-tinged like, say, Sailor Jentle Miruai. Depending on pen, paper, and illumination this ink can look more blue-teal or more green-teal.

 

 

The flow is one of the interesting characteristics of this ink: it feels "creamy" to write with. I like this tactility of the ink. It does not feather nor bleed through any of the decent-to-good paper I've used it with.

 

It has pretty decent water resistance too: while it won't look neat if you splash water on your writing, a clear, dark gray line remains behind to salvage content.

 

There is metallic magenta sheen.

 

This ink will work in all types of nibs: from ultra extra fine to broad. Shading becomes increasingly more prominent with broader nibs. If you use broad nibs with this ink, I recommend uncoated and more absorbent paper. It's more smear-prone on Tomoe River with broad nibs.

 

Scan: on Fabriano Bioprima 85g ivory-toned paper with 4mm dot grid

 

 

Scan: on Tomoe River 52g White

 

 

Scan: on a 100g A6 uncoated paper (the first GvFC Gulf Blue should read "Cobalt Blue" instead)

 

 

Scan: on Tomoe River 52g Cream paper (the first GvFC Gulf Blue should read Cobalt Blue instead)

 

Close-up photographs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Intensity

[LizEF]

Excellent review, Intensity! Thank you.

[Tasmith]

Great review! Always good to see a water test.

[OCArt]

Another very nice review, thanks for your work. I also like PR Ebony Purple, like a dark eggplant (aubergine.)

[Tas]

 

(have just put GvFC Deep Sea Green back on the list )

[Intensity]

 

(have just put GvFC Deep Sea Green back on the list )

 

As long as you have smooth enough and wet-writing pens, that ink is sooo nice. One of my top favorites.

[GardenWeasel]

Thanks for the great review!

[taimdala]

Oh this is lovely! Thank you for this review. You have perfect timing. I am very/highly likely hitting a stationery store tomorrow that stocks PR inks. I'll have to get Ebony Blue and Avocado to try them at home!

[Intensity]

Oh this is lovely! Thank you for this review. You have perfect timing. I am very/highly likely hitting a stationery store tomorrow that stocks PR inks. I'll have to get Ebony Blue and Avocado to try them at home!

 

Fun! I can also advise you against Flannel Grey. At least my bottle is really pale and too highly shading. I love the hue of fresh tealy-green-tinted gray, but it's just too pale.

[yazeh]

Lovely review...... Though I shall not be tempted

[namrehsnoom]

Thanks for the very detailed review and the great pictures. I like the ink, but I allready have enough teals in my stash, so I will let this one pass

[TheDutchGuy]

Thanks for the review! This ink seems to be close to Blackstone’s Sydney Harbour Blue.

[inkstainedruth]

Not a color for me, but thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Alexandra]

Lovely color!

[Intensity]

One of the positive qualities of this ink is that despite being pretty high saturation it flushed out surprisingly quickly and completely from two different pens, one of which had it for 3 weeks. No staining, and the rinsing to clean water was much faster than usual.

 

I also love the tactile feeling of writing with this ink. It’s so pleasant and difficult to describe. Velvety and not uncontrolled gliding, but tactile yet smooth. The last time I felt something of this sort was with Pilot Iroshizuku Take Sumi. My other PR ink Avocado also feels really good to write with.

Edited August 21, 2020 by Intensity

[amberleadavis]

Wonderful review.